Young British rider Hugh Carthy will start his first Giro d’Italia this week, and it’s a race that Cannondale-Drapac Directeur Sportif Charly Wegelius feels will suit the rider’s abilities.
“Hugh’s coming to the Giro on the back of his first three-week race of the end of last year in the Vuelta. He’s going to discover the Giro, and I hope he’s going to find out what I suspect, which is that he’s a prototype Giro rider,” said Wegelius.
“He’s very resilient despite his young age. He’s robust. I think he can give his best on steep climbs, which the Giro offers in a way the Tour doesn’t. He’s another one of the guys who, despite the fact that he’s very talented and performing well, still needs space and time to find himself and to develop. I think that this is his first real rendezvous on that journey.”
Carthy made his Grand Tour debut at the Vuelta a Espana where he made it to Madrid in 125th position. More recently, the 22 year-old had an impressive performance at the Tour of the Alps where he finished 14th overall and 2nd in the Youth Classification. He says that the Giro is a race that he is really looking forward to.
“I’ve never ridden the Giro before but in the past few years as a professional it is the one grand tour that I have wanted to ride more than others,” said Carthy.
“People who have ridden it describe it as the most beautiful, brutal yet enjoyable race. Having spent a lot of the season so far in the company of my Italian teammates, the significance and specialness of the centenary edition is clear to see.”
